Roll-type closure



March 4, 1969 E, E, PIERCE 3,430,677

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INVENTOR Ernest E. Pierce ATTORNEYS Sheetl Filed Dec. 22, 1967 Ernest E. Pierce 22 ATTORNEYS March 4, 1969 E. E. PIERCE ROLL-TYPE cLosuRE Sheet 5) of' 4 Filed Deo. 22, 1967 INVENTOR Ernesi' E. Pierce ATTORNEYS March 4, 1969 E. E. PIERCE 3,430,677

HOLL-TYPE CLOSURE Filed DGO. 22, 1957 Y Sheet 4 O`4 INVENTOR FIG.' B2 Ernesi E. Pierce ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A roll-type closure having a sheet of thin, flexible material wound on a drum for opening and closing a building opening with transverse, widely-spaced reinforcing members in alined pairs on opposite sides of the sheet so as to be capable of having minimum transverse dimensions and strength sufficient only to prevent exing of said sheet. Enlarged disks at the drum ends and having involute peripheries facilitate drum winding of the sheet without undue deformation, the disk peripheries having recesses for receiving the inner reinforcing members and permitting the inner convolution of said sheet to rest on said peripheries. The reinforcing members and disk recesses are so spaced that the inner members of each outer sheet convolution rest on the underlying sheet convolution medially between its outer reinforcing members.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field f the invention Roll-type closures of the thin, flexible type having transverse reinforcing means.

Description of the prior art Heretofore, roll-type closures of the thin, flexible type have been limited to specialized uses within the interiors of buildings, such as window, door and skylight openings 0r as partitions. Although attempts have been made to employ this type of closure -for opening and closing an exterior opening exposed to the weather, such applications have not been successful except when the opening is of relatively small area. In addition to the problem of preventing undue flexing of the closure when it is in its closed or unwound position, it has been found that said closure is susceptible to damage during shipment and handling when it is of lightweight, inexpensive construction and that this susceptibility increases with the area of said closure. Examples of the prior art are: 626,475, June 1899, Andrews; 755,675, March 1904, Kirby; 787,- 312, April 1905, Siler; 972,422, October 1910, Whitmore; 1,143,863, June 1915, Schenk; 1,583,133, May 1926, Fierman; 1,585,270, May 1926, Stevenson; 2,042,002, May 1936, Honey; 2,094,932, October 1937, Swan; 2,240,416, April 1941, Pidgeon; 2,519,638, August 1950, Di Moryo; 2,564,197, August 1951, Dobkn; and 2,780,283, February 1957, Wasserman. Foreign: 685,113, April 1964, Canada; and 714,595, September 1954, Great Britain.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a roll-type closure having a curtain or sheet of thin, flexible material adapted to be wound onto and off of a supporting drum for opening and closing the doorway of a garage or other opening of a building with widely-spaced, reinforcing members extending transversely of the sheet and terminating short of the upright margins thereof, said margins being slidably conned in jamb guides of narrow width, whereby the closure is of lightweight, inexpensive construction. The reinforcing members are disposed in alined pairs on opposite sides of the sheet so as to be capable of having minimum transverse dimensions and strength sufficient only to pre- 3,430,677 Patented Mar. 4, 1969 ICC vent transverse flexing of said sheet and permit compact ceiling thereof. Enlarged disks, having involute peripheries, at the ends 0f the drum facilitate winding of the sheet on said drum without undue deformation so as to minimize the tendency of said sheet to retain its coiled condition, the involute peripheries of the disks having recesses for receiving the reinforcing members -on the inner side of said sheet and permitting the inner convolution of said sheet to rest on said disk periphen'es in spaced relation to the remainder of said drum whereby said convolution is of minimum diameter. The reinforcing members and disk recesses are so spaced that the members on the inner side of each outer convolution of the sheet rest on the underlying convolution of said sheet medially between said members on the outer side of said underlying sheet convolution whereby the wound sheet is of minimum diameter and its weight is transmitted by said members to and is carried by the disks with even distribution thereof.

Constructions designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together With other features `of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevational View of a roll-type door, constructed in accordance with the invention, mounted in and closing a doorway,

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the mounted door in closed position,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, broken, transverse, vertical sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, broken, transverse, vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 is a horizontal, cross-sectional view, taken on the line 5--5 of FIG. 4, showing the door in elevation,

FIG. 6 is a transverse, vertical sectional view tak-en on the line 6-6 of FIG. 4,

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, transverse, vertical sectional view showing the door in its raised position,

FIG. 8 is a perspective View of the upper portion of one of the jamb guides for the door,

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an intermediate portion of one of the jamb guides,

FIG. 10 is an enlarged, perspective view, partly broken away, of the drum and a portion of the unwound door,

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the medial portion of the lower margin of the door, and

FIG. 12 is an enlarged, end elevational view of a modified door and supporting drum.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 'In the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a roll-type closure or door for the doorway of a garage or other opening of a building having a conventional wooden header 11 and a pair of jambs 12. The door includes a horizontal drum or roller 13 and a curtain or sheet 14, of thin, exible metal, plastic or other suitable material and of greater width than the doorway or opening, adapted to be wound onto and olf of the drum for opening and closing the doorway. An upright, wooden, frame member or stud 15 underlies and reinforces each jamb 12 and extends above the header 11 in the usual manner (FIGS. 3, 5, 6 and 8). As will be explained, guides or tracks 16 for slidably confining the upright margins of the sheet =14 are mounted on the inner sides of the jambs in overlying relation thereto and extend above the header. Each lower corner of the flexible sheet may be reinforced by a thin, U-shaped boot or clip 17 which may extend around the margin of said sheet (FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 6) and, when said sheet is formed of plastic material, its upright margins may be reinforced by overlapping strips 18 of the same or other suitable material overlying and secured to the inner and/or outer surfaces thereof. Although not known, the reinforcing strips 18 may be of one-piece construction and coextensive with the upright margins of the sheet 14. In order to prevent interference with the winding and unwinding of the sheet, the onepiece reinforcing strips may be secured at only one or a few widely spaced points.

A plurality of horizontal, widely-spaced, reinforcing members or bars 19, of wood or other suitable material and of identical dimensions, is secured to and extends transversely of the inner and outer surfaces of the curtain or sheet 14 in alined pairs, while the lower margin of said sheet is reinforced by an external angle bar 20 and an internal bar 21 which is rectangular in section and similar to the bars 19 but of greater transverse dimensions. As shown most clearly in FIGS. 6, 7 and l1, the angle bar 20 may confine a horizontal depending, flexible weatherstrip 22 on the lower margin of the sheet for sealing engagement with the floor when the door is closed. If desired, a flexible bail or handle 23 may depend from the medial portion of the bottom bar 21. For sealing off between the closed door and the header 11, an outwardlyextending, horizontal, flexible weatherstrip 24 may be confined on the outer side of the sheet 14 by the uppermost external reinforcing bar. It is noted that the bars 19, 20 and 21 and weatherstrips 22 and 24 are of a length less than the width of the curtain or sheet so as to terminate short of the guide channels 16 (FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5). As will be explained, angular stop bars 25 are suitably fastened to the end portions of the bottom bar so as to project longitudinally from said end portions beyond the adjacent guides 16. Although not illustrated in detail, the closure or door is provided with a suitable latch 26 which may be mounted on one of the intermediate internal bars 19 for locking said closure or door in its closed position (FIG. 2).

The drum 13 is rotatably mounted on an axial shaft 27, which may be tubular as shown for light weightness, having its ends projecting therefrom for supporting er1- gagement with a pair of substantially V-shaped brackets or hangers 28 (FIGS. 24 and 6) which have their hoses secured to the inner sides of the studs 15 by lag screws 29 so as extend laterally inward from said studs immediately above the header 11. A horizontal ange 30 projects inwardly from the lower end of each hanger 28 in substantial alinement with the underside of the header (FIGS. 3-5) for engagement by one of the stop bars 25 to limit upward movement of the closure or door. Each hanger has an angular, J-shaped bracket 31 secured to its upper surface with the upwardly-facing, 'IJ-shaped portion or stirrup 32 of the latter overlying the apex of bight portion of the hanger for supporting one end of the shaft 27. In order to prevent rotation of the shaft upon unwinding of the sheet 14, a pair of spaced, circular chucks or elements 33 is fixed to one end of said shaft for straddling the adjacent bracket 31 and alined, spaced recesses 34 are formed in the periphery of each chuck for receiving a lock plate 35 which is adapted to engage the underside of a lip 36 projecting from the free end of said bracket. Obviously, longitudinal displacement of the shaft is prevented by the straddling of the bracket by the chucks 33.

The drum 13 includes a pair of circular end walls or disks 37, of wood or other suitable material, journaled on the shaft 27 and connected by a cylindrical barrel or sleeve 38 of a length less than the length of the reinforcing bars 19 (FIGS. 2, 4 and 10). Since the only function of the barrel 38 is to connect the disks 37 and prevent relative movement of said disks, said barrel may be formed of lightweight metal or other suitable inexpensive material. For securing the upper margin of the curtain or sheet 14 to the drum in spaced relation to the barrel, an elongate cleat or member 39, of wood or other suitable material, extends longitudinally of said barrel with its ends overlying the disks and is fastened to external, coextensive flanges 40 of said barrel (FIGS. 4, 6 and 7). A helical torsion spring 41 is confined on one end portion of the shaft within the barrel 38 by an integral collar 42 having a set screw 43 for bearing against said shaft (FIG. lO). The opposite end of the spring 41 is attached to a flanged collar 44 which is fastened to the adjacent end disk for exerting a clockwise torque on the drum 13 to counterbalance the same and cause winding of the flexible sheet onto said drum upon lifting of the door. Since the chucks 33 are xed to the shaft 27 and the lock plate 35 bears against the lip 36 of the bracket 31, the torque on the drum is maintained and increases when the door or closure is pulled downo wardly due to tightening of the spring.

0 margins of said sheet inwardly of the adjacent guide channel 16 (FIGS. 2 4, 6, 7 and l0). An involute peripheral surface 46 is provided on each flange 45 whereby its radius constantly increases counterclockwise from a minimum or low point 47 at the cleat to a maximum or high point 48 adjacent the low point. Preferably, the low and high points 47 and 48 of the peripheral surfaces 46 are in radial alinement whereby the upper margin of the flexible curtain or sheet underlies said high points. The peripheral surface of each disk flange has a plurality of spaced notches or recesses 49 of sufficient area to receive the end portions of the internal reinforcing bars 19 of the inner convolution of the sheet 14 and permit the portions of said sheet convolution between the recess-engaging portions of said bars to rest on said peripheral flange surface whereby the flanges may be of minimum diameter.

It is pointed out that the depth of the recesses 49 of the peripheral surfaces is substantially equal to the thickness of the bars 19 and that the flanges 45 are of suiliciently greater diameter than the barrel 38, whereby the inner convolution of the curtain or sheet and its internal reinforcing bars are firmly supported by said flanges in spaced relation to said barrel to minimize the noise of winding and unwinding said sheet and prevent deflection of said inner convolution by its own weight or by the weight of the outer convolutions of the wound sheet.

Due to the involute curve of each peripheral flange surface 46, the wound sheet assumes a more normal contour so as to prevent the setting of an undesirable curvature therein and the creation of additional noise as a result of such curvature.

It is noted that the spacing between the reinforcing bars 19 and between the recesses 49 of the involute peripheral surfaces of the disk flanges is such that the internal bars of each overlying convolution of the curtain or sheet 14 rests upon the underlying convolution of said ,sheet in spaced relation to the external bars of said underlying convolution, whereby the wound sheet is symmetrical, of minimum diameter and its convolutions are spaced uniformly from one another with the result that said sheet rolls smoothly onto and off of the drum 13 with minimum resistance and deformation. Of course, the involute curvature of the peripheral surfaces 46 and equal thickness of the reinforcing bars are essential to this symmetry and uniformity so that the weight of the wound sheet is evenly distributed and is carried by the flanges 45.

The spacing between the reinforcing bars 19 increases downwardly of the sheet, while the spacing between the recesses increases counterclockwise from the low points 47 of the peripheral surfaces in accordance with the outwardly increasing length of the convolutions of said sheet upon winding thereof. Preferably, this spatial increase is uniform so that the reinforcing bars of each overlying convolution are disposed medially of the bars of its underlying convolution so as ensure the uniform symmetry of the wound sheet. It is pointed out that the high points 48 of the involute peripheral surfaces 46 are disposed radially outward of the low points 47 a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the bars 19 so as to maintain the uniform spacing of the convolutions of the wound sheet. Due to its light weight, compaetness and smoothness in winding and unwinding, the closure or door may be operated by a relatively inexpensive motor (not shown).

Since the internal and external bars of each pair of the reinforcing bars 19 are alined, said bars may be of minimum transverse dimensions and strength suflicient only to prevent flexing of the curtain or sheet 14 and permit compact coiling thereof around the drum 13. Preferably, each of these bars is of the same width and thickness so that the wound sheet is of uniform contour. For economy of manufacture, shipment and installation, it is most desirable that the disk flanges 45 as well as the other elements of the drum be of minimum diameters without being so small as to permanently bend or set a curvature in the sheet 14 and/ or sacrifice either the lightweightness or the strength of the closure or door. It has been found that when the doorway or other opening to be closed is of standard height, such as six to eight feet, the disk flanges may be of approximately twelve and onehalf inches in diameter, the involute peripheral surfaces 46 of said flanges require only three each of the recesses 49, the flexible curtain or sheet need have only seven pairs of the reinforcing bars 19 and approximately two convolutions accommodate the length of the door or closure.

For taller openings or doorways, the diameter of the disk flanges 45 may be enlarged so as to space the recesses and reinforcing bars a greater distance apart whereby there is less variation in the distances between said bars. In some instances, the strength of the door or closure is of more importance than its appearance. Accordingly, it may be desirable to provide additional recesses in the peripheral flange surfaces, even when the diameter of the flanges is enlarged, for receiving a larger number of the reinforcing bars and thereby accommodate more bars in each convolution of the wound sheet so as to maintain the optimum distances between adjacent reinforcing bars.

A modified closure or door is shown in FIG. 12 and has four notches of recesses 49 instead of three, in the involute peripheral surfaces 46 of the enlarged circumferential flanges 45' of the end disks 37 of its drum 13 for receiving four reinforcing bars of the first or inner convolution and permitting the second or intermediate and the third or outer convolutions to contain five reinforcing bars each. Since the elements of the modified closure are identical to the elements of the closure 10 except for the quantity and/or size thereof, the same numerals primed identify the former. Of course, either of the wound sheets 14 and 14 may have a lesser or greater number of convolutions. It is noted that the bars 19 of the second or intermediate convolutions are disposed medially of the reinforcing bars of the first or inner convolution and that said bars of the third or outer convolution overlie said first or inner convolution bars as well as the first or innermost second or intermediate convolution bar in substantially radial alinement therewith so that each of the convolutions has a firm support.

Although the structure of each of the guides or tracks 16 is subject to rather wide variation, it is desirable that the width of its sheet-receiving groove or channel 50 be as narrow as possible without interfering with the sliding movement therein of one of the upright margins of the flexible sheet or curtain 14. As shown most clearly in FIGS. 5, 7 and 9, each guide or track includes an elongate body 51 of extruded plastic or other suitable material and of a length greater than the height of the building opening or doorway so as to extend from the floor to a point slightly below the upper margin of the drum 13 6 (FIGS. 3, 4, `6l and 7). Each guide body 51 is of modified S-shape in cross-section and has a trio of substantially parallel flanges or leg portions 52, 53 and 54 with a relatively wide web or bight portion 55 connecting the exterior and intermediate flanges 52 and 53, the latter being connected to the interior flange 54 by a relatively narrow web or bight portion 56 (FIG. 9). A mounting groove or recess 57, of relatively wide width, is formed by the coaction of the flanges 52 and 53 with the web 55, while the oppositely-facing, relativelynarrow guide groove or channel is provided by the coaction of the web 56 with the flanges 53 and 54.

The exterior flange 52 is adapted to overlie the interior surface of one of the jambs 12 (FIG. 5) and has transverse slots 58 therein (FIG. 9) to facilitate mounting of the guide body by lag screws 59 and clamp bars 60 with the web alined with the doorway face of said jamb. Preferably the interior flange 54 of each guide body 51 is arched or bowed transversely inward toward the intermediate flange 53 for engagement with one of the upright margins of the flexible sheet or curtain so as to function as a weatherstrip. As shown by the numeral 61 in FIG. 8, the upper end portion of the relatively wide web 55 has its margin adjacent the intermediate flange severed therefrom and inclined or tapered upwardly toward the exterior flange to permit the upper end portion 62 of said intermediate flange to incline upwardly toward and into engagement with the upper margin of said exterior flange.

I claim:

1. A roll-type closure for the opening of a building including:

a horizontal drum rotatably mounted at the upper end of the opening and having end portions of enlarged diameter,

a sheet of thin flexible material having its upper margin attached to the drum and adapted to be wound onto and off of said drum for opening and closing the the building opening,

internal reinforcing members facing said drum and extending transversely of the inner surface of the flexible sheet in parallel widely spaced relation to one another whereby said sheet retains its flexibility between the members,

the enlarged end portions of said drum supporting the wound sheet by its upright margins with said sheet and reinforcing members in spaced relation to the intermediate portion of said drum between said end portions,

each enlarged drum end portion having recesses in its peripheral surface spaced apart in accordance with the spacing between said reinforcing members for receiving the end portions of said members, and

upright guides at the sides of the building opening for slidably confining the upright margins of said sheet.

2. A roll-type closure as set forth in claim 1 including:

means extending longitudinally of the intermediate portion for attaching the upper margin of the flexible sheet to said drum in spaced relation to said drum intermediate portion.

3. A roll-type closure as set forth in claim 2 wherein:

the peripheral surface of each enlarged end portion of the drum is involute whereby the wound sheet has involute convolutions,

the involute peripheral surfaces having their low points adjacent the longitudinal means which attaches the upper margin of said sheet to said drum.

4. A rol1-type closure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the peripheral recesses of the enlarged end portions of the drum are of a depth substantially equal to the thickness of the end portions of the reinforcing members engaged therein whereby said drum end portions support said members as well as the flexible sheet.

5. A roll-type closure as set forth in claim 4 wherein:

the peripheral surfaces of the enlarged end portions are involute whereby the convolutions of the wound sheet are involute.

6. A roll-type closure as set forth in claim 4 including:

external reinforcing members extending transversely of the outer surface of the e'xible sheet in alinement with the internal reinforcing members,

the spacing of said internal and external reinforcing members and the spacing between the peripheral recesses of the enlarged end portions of the drum being such that the members of adjacent convolutions of the wound sheet are spaced from contact with one another.

7. A roll-type closure as set forth in claim 6 wherein:

the peripheral surfaces of the enlarged end portions yare involute whereby the convolutions of the wound sheet are involute.

8. A roll-type closure as set forth in claim 1 including:

external reinforcing members extending transversely of the outer surface of the flexible sheet in alinement with the internal reinforcing members,

the spacing of said internal and external reinforcing members and the spacing between the peripheral recesses of the enlarged end portions of the drum being such that the members of adjacent convolutions of the wound sheet are spaced from contact with one another.

9. A roll-type enclosure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the exible sheet has thin upright margins projecting beyond the ends of the reinforcing members,

the upright guides having channels of a width suicient only to receive the thin upright margins of said sheet.

10. A roll-type closure as set forth in claim 6 wherein the drum includes:

an axial supporting shaft, a pair of spaced disks journaled on the shaft,

8 means extending longitudinally of said shaft for connecting the disks to each other and forming the intermediate portion of said drum, and circumferential means projecting radially from said disks so as to form the enlarged end portions of said drum.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 280,808 7/1883 Fox 160-242 626,475 6/1899 Andrews 160--264 X 755,675 3/1904 Kirby 160-264 X 787,312 4/1905 Siler 160-264 X 972,422 10/ 1910 Whitmore 160-266 X 983,104 1/1911 Wilson 160--133 X 1,143,863 6/1915 Schenk 160-264 1,583,133 5/1926 Fierman 160-264 1,585,270 5/1926 Stevenson 160-133 2,042,002 5/ 1936 Hovey 160-133 2,094,932 10/ 1937 Swan 160--28 2,240,416 4/ 1941 Pidgeon 160--266 2,519,638 8/1950 Marzo 160-28 2,564,197 8/1951 Dobkin 160-133 2,780,283 2/1957 Wasserman 160-264 X FOREIGN PATENTS 685,113 4/1964 Canada.

499,307 10/ 1930 Germany.

714,595 9/1954 Great Britain.

604,851 5/ 1960 Italy.

PETER M. CAUN, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 

